Photoresist trimming process

ABSTRACT

A photoresist trimming gas compound is provided which will selectively remove a resist foot or scum from the lower portions of sidewalls of a photoresist. Additionally, the trimmer compound hardens or toughens an upper surface of the photoresist thereby strengthening the photoresist. The trimmer compound includes O 2  and at least one other gaseous oxide and is typically utilized in a dry etching process after a trench has been formed in a photoresist. The other oxide gases, in addition to the O 2  may include CO 2 , SO 2  and NO 2 .

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/711,043, filed Aug. 19, 2004 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,304,000, thedisclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a photoresist trimming process, and moreparticularly to a photoresist trimming process incorporating oxide gasesinto the etchant.

2. Background Description

In photolithographic mask fabrication, it is typically preferable forthe sidewalls of the mask to be as perpendicular to a reference surfaceas possible. Typically, the sidewalls are preferred to be perpendicularto the base surface of the substrate. However, an unwanted resist ormask foot or scum may form a generally sloping structure which is narrowat its top, and broadens towards its bottom. That is, the mask foot isan extension of mask material extending from a mask sidewall into theopening in the mask bounded by the sidewall.

A mask foot may typically protrude about 20 nm from a sidewall of a maskabout 3000 Å thick. Where the sidewall bounds a trench in the mask onthe order of about 500 nm, a 20 nm foot represents about a 10% errorwhen the underlying layer is imaged using the mask, when consideringthat the opposite sidewall will have a similar mask foot. Such largemask errors complicate the design process and reduce manufacture yield.

Because the resist foot tends to be copied into any structure etched bythe etchant, the foot typically forms a defect on the image photoresist.This defect is then replicated when the lower substrate is etched usingthe photoresist mask to guide the etching of the substrate.

Accordingly, methods have been developed in an attempt to remove and/orreduce the size of the resist foot. One method to reduce the size of theresist foot includes using a higher power level of radiation whenexposing the photoresist, and/or using an etchant having higherselectivity to etch photoresist.

However, exposing the resist at higher power levels, and/or etching theresist with a more selective etchant typically damages that portion ofthe photoresist mask which is desired to be left intact. Such damagetypically includes weakening the photoresist mask and thus reducing theability of the photoresist mask to form precision or critical edges.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In a first aspect of the invention, a method of photoresist trimmingincludes the steps of forming a resist foot in a trench, and removingthe resist foot found in the trench during a trimming process.

In another aspect of the invention, a method of forming an imaging maskincludes the steps of arranging an opaque layer on a transparentsubstrate, and arranging a mask material on the opaque layer. The methodalso includes imaging the mask with a prescribed pattern, and trimmingan etched mask with a trimming gas comprising O₂ and at least one otheroxide gas.

In another aspect of the invention, a trim gas for etching a mask footformed at a base of a sidewall pattern includes O₂ and at least oneother oxide gas comprising at least any one of CO₂, SO₂, and NO₂.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a structure to be imaged;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a trench with a resist foot in a mask;

FIG. 3 is an illustration of a trimming process in accordance with anembodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 shows steps implementing the trimming process of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the invention are directed to improving the accuracy ofmask or resist imaging and sidewall formation by formulating a trimmingor descum etchant which selectively etches a resist foot whilepolymerizing the upper surface of the resist mask. Accordingly,embodiments of the invention are configured to form a more accurate maskby creating straighter mask sidewalls by selectively removing anunwanted resist foot at the base of a resist sidewall withoutsignificantly thinning the resist mask. Referring to FIG. 1, an exampleof a structure to be etched 10 is shown. The structure 10 includes asubstrate of a transparent material 12. On top of the transparentmaterial 12 is an opaque material 14 and on top of the opaque material14 is a photoresist 16. Examples of such a structure include a maskwhich will be imaged and used for further lithographic imaging. Such amask typically has a layer of quartz as the transparent substrate ontowhich a layer of chromium is formed as the opaque layer. The layer ofchromium will typically have a photoresist deposited thereon.

The resist is typically an organic resist which is usually spin-coatedonto the opaque material 12 in preparation for photolithographicimaging. An example of an organic resist suitable to be used withembodiments of the invention include a chemical amplified resist (CAR).After the structure 10 is formed, it is then exposed 18 using aphotolithographic imaging device. Typically the photolithographicimaging device is an E-beam writer. However, other imaging devices maybe used in accordance with the principles of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, a developer 20 is applied to the photoresist 16 toform a trench 22 in the resist. The developer 20 can include any of thesolvents well known in the art for developing a photoresist.

The developer 20 will form a trench 22 having a sidewall 28 in thephotoresist 16 according to how the photoresist 16 was exposed toradiation. Accordingly, the trench 22 is formed in the region of thephotoresist 16 which was exposed by the radiation 18. Consequently, thetrench 22 is formed in a prescribed pattern where the prescribed patternshould be accurately represented by the trench 22. The developing of thetrench 22 stops at the opaque layer 14. Thus, the opaque layer 14 isexposed along the bottom of the trench 22.

The developer 20, in addition to forming a trench 22 in the photoresist16, will leave behind a mask or resist foot 24 at the lower section ofeach photoresist sidewall 28. Thus, the sidewall 28 will have anirregular and unwanted extension protruding from its lower section whichdeviates from the desired image to be formed in the photoresist 16.

More specifically, the resist foot 24 typically has an irregular slopingshape which generally starts about the middle of the sidewall 28 of thetrench 22. The resist foot 24 thus forms a sloping shoulder from aboutthe middle of the sidewall 28 protruding into the trench 22 at thebottom of the sidewall 28. Accordingly, even though the trench 22 has aprescribed width and is developed to that width near the top of thetrench 22, the processes of the imaging and developing steps will leaveresidual mask material near the bottom of the trench 22 which forms themask foot 24 and thus will partially mask a portion of the opaque layer14 which was otherwise intended to be removed in a subsequent etchingprocess.

Referring to FIG. 3, a trim step includes trimming away the resist foot24 using a combination of O₂ and an oxide gas. The oxide gases mayinclude, for example, CO₂, SO₂, or NO₂, as well as other oxide gases.Together, the O₂ and the other oxide gases form a trimming gas 26. TheO₂ and other oxide gas may form the trimming gas 26 in a wide range ofmixing ratios ranging from about 1 to 50, to about 1 to 1 to about 50:1.In one embodiment, the mixture of gases comprising O₂ and at least oneother gaseous oxide is in a ratio of ranging from 1:10 to about 10:1.

In one embodiment, O₂, and CO₂ may be used in a ratio of about 1:3. Inthis one specific embodiment, the CO₂ is a heavier gas and thus a morevigorous ion bombardment is provided during the descum process whichremoves the resist footing and thus results in a straighter sidewall.The CO₂ is selected because it forms a carbon barrier layer, which is apolymerization process, on the top surface of the resist. This resultsin a minimum resist thickness loss, allowing ion bombardment to takeplace on the resist image sidewalls.

Additionally, the trimming gas 26 may include more than just one oxidegas and thus may include O₂, and CO₂, as well as SO₂, and even NO₂, etc.in various mixing ratios. For example, the trimming gas 26 may be formedsubstantially of O₂ and CO₂ with little, if any other constituents.Additionally, the trimming as may be formed from a combination of O₂,CO₂, and SO₂.

The trimming gas 26 is typically applied to the photoresist 16 through adry etching process. For example, the trimming gas 26 may be applied tothe photoresist 16 to remove the resist foot 24 through a plasma etchingprocess. When the trimming gas 26 is used in a plasma etching process,the trimming gas 26 is typically held at a pressure of about 99milliTorr (mT). However, a wide range of other pressures may be usedranging from about 1 mT to about 1,000 mT. Additionally, narrowerpressure ranges, such as 1 mT to 100 mT, may also be used. Finally evennarrower pressure ranges such as 95 mT to 105 mT, may be used. Furtherparameters applied in the plasma etching process are typical of otherplasma etching processes well known in the art.

Mixing the trimming gas 26 typically occurs in the plasma during aplasma etching process. Thus the O₂ and other gaseous oxides may beintroduced directly into an etching chamber where they mix together justprior and during the etching process. Alternatively, the gases may bepremixed just prior to injecting into the etching chamber.

When the trimming gas 26 is applied to remove the resist foot 24 througha plasma etching process, the oxide and the other gaseous oxidesinteract with the resist material and selectively reduce or remove theresist foot 24, and additionally harden or strengthen an upper surfaceof the mask 16 forming a hardened layer 30 of the photoresist 16. Thehardened layer 30 may include polymerizing an upper layer of thephotoresist 16 and/or forming a carbon buildup in the hardened layer 30of the photoresist 16.

Accordingly, the trimming process or trimming gas 26 has the advantagesof reducing or removing a resist foot 24 from the sidewall 28 of atrench 22 in a photoresist 16. Consequently, the sidewall 28 of thetrench 22 is etched and trimmed to be substantially perpendicular to anupper surface or a lower surface of the photoresist 16 as well as beingsubstantially perpendicular to an upper surface of the underlying opaquelayer 14.

Although the examples of FIGS. 1 through 3 show the trimming processbeing applied to a structure including a transparent layer underneath anopaque layer with the photoresist thereupon, the trimming process may beutilized in virtually any situation where a trench having a resist footneeds to have a straight sidewall, and the trimming gases will not harmother material in the structure being trimmed.

Table 1 shows examples of results from trimming processes.TABLE-US-00001

TABLE 1 CD SEM DUV KMS Post Etch Cr Post Etch Cr (X, Y) (X, Y) Process(3Sigma) (3Sigma) Lot # Description nm nm J7D23000JV O₂ low pressure 17,18 17, 16 descum J7D23001JV O₂/CO₂ high 14, 14 15, 15 pressure descumJ7D23003JV O₂ high pressure 17, 18 17, 17 descum

Column 1 labeled “Lot #” indicates a particular wafer which wassubjected to the trimming process. Column 2 labeled “ProcessDescription” indicates whether the trim or descum step was high pressureor low pressure, and whether a gaseous oxide was included to trim. Forexample, lot J7D23001JV was performed with O₂/CO₂ high pressure descum.

Column 3 labeled “CD SEM Post Etch Cr (X,Y) (3 sigma)” indicates adeviation of the sidewall in nm of a Cr mask formed when using aphotoresist trimmed in accordance with the invention, as determined by ascanning electron microscope measurement. Column 4 labeled “DUV KMS PostEtch Cr (X,Y) (3 sigma)” indicates a deviation of the sidewall in nm ofa Cr mask formed when using a photoresist trimmed in accordance with theinvention as determined by an optical interferometery measurement. Thus,Columns 3 and 4 show that a chrome mask formed by a photoresist masktrimmed using a gaseous oxide trimming gas has a repeatability of about14 nm and 15 nm, respectively, as determined by two differentmeasurement techniques. This has a substantial improvement overnon-oxide gas trims at 16-18 nm (J7D23000JV and J7D23003JV), asdetermined by the two measurement techniques.

FIG. 4 shows steps of one embodiment, implementing the trimming processof the invention. At step 400, a stabilization step is performed. Thestabilization step, in one embodiment, includes (i) time=50 seconds,(ii) pressure=99 mT, (iii) Cl=0.1 sccm, O₂=45 sccm and CO₂=50 sccm. Atstep 410, a light step is performed. The light step may include, forexample, (i) time=7 seconds, (ii) pressure=99 mT, (iii) RF power=125watts and (iv) Cl=0.1 sccm, O₂45 sccm and CO₂32 50 sccm. Next, at step420, a descum step in accordance with the invention is performed. In oneexample, this step may include (i) time=process seconds, (ii)pressure=99 mT, (iii) RF power=125 watts and (iv) Cl=0.1 sccm, O₂=18sccm and CO₂=50 sccm.

While the invention has been described in terms of exemplaryembodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the inventioncan be practiced with modifications and in the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

1. A method of photoresist trimming, comprising the steps of: forming aresist foot in a trench; removing the resist foot found in the trenchduring a trimming process, wherein the trimming process comprisesionizing a portion of a mixture of gases comprising O₂ and at least oneother oxide gas to form an etchant for the trimming process, and whereinthe trimming process is performed on a mask and an upper surface of themask is resistant to etching; and polymerizing an upper surface of themask.
 2. A method of photoresist trimming, comprising the steps of:forming a resist foot in a trench; removing the resist foot found in thetrench during a trimming process, wherein the trimming process comprisesionizing a portion of a mixture of gases comprising O₂ and at least oneother oxide gas to form an etchant for the trimming process, and whereinthe mixture of gases comprises any of at least CO₂, SO₂ and NO₂ formedby mixing during a plasma etching process; and providing a barrier on anupper surface of a mask derived from an oxide gas.
 3. A method ofphotoresist trimming, comprising the steps of: forming a resist foot ina trench; removing the resist foot found in the trench during a trimmingprocess, wherein the trimming process comprises ionizing a portion of amixture of gases comprising O₂ and at least one other oxide gas to forman etchant for the trimming process, and wherein the mixture of gasescomprises any of at least CO₂, SO₂ and NO₂ formed by mixing during aplasma etching process; and arranging a carbon barrier on an uppersurface of a mask.
 4. A method of photoresist trimming, comprising thesteps of: forming a resist foot in a trench of a photoresist layer;removing the resist foot found in the trench during a trimming process,wherein the trimming process comprises ionizing a portion of a mixtureof gases comprising O₂ and at least one other oxide gas to form anetchant for the trimming process; and at least one of: arranging acarbon barrier on an upper surface of the photoresist layer, andpolymerizing an upper layer of the photoresist layer.